Dear Theodosia: blow us all away (philidosia)

36: Stay alive (part five)

Eliza wakes up sprawled on the bed next to Maria. Maria is fast asleep, but Eliza's heart is pounding. Something's not right. She was awoken by the sound of someone screaming, yet her house is silent.

Eliza quietly climbs out of bed and ties on a robe. She creeps out into the silent hallway with a pounding heart. Her skin is crawling and she knows something bad is going to happen.

Eliza is about to go into Philip's room to check on him, when she suddenly hears a pounding on her front door. Eliza jumps, startled by the sudden noise, before recovering. She takes a deep breath and pulls her robe tighter around herself. Once downstairs, she pulls the front door open.

Standing on the other side of the door is a teenage boy in a dark jacket.

"Are you Mrs. Hamilton?" he asks, nervously.

"I am, may I ask what you are doing at my door so early in the morning?"

The boy then utters the words every mother dreads, "Mrs. Hamilton, your son is in the hospital."

"What?" Eliza asks, shocked, "what do you mean? Who's in the hospital? Why?"

"Philip Hamilton is your son, correct?"

"Yes. Why is Philip in the hospital, is he okay?"

"All I know is, he's in the hospital and you should hurry up and get there. The doctor will fill you in on what happened."

Eliza takes a shaky breath and nods. "Thank you," she says before closing the door in the boy's face.

She rushes upstairs and fills Maria in on what she knows, then rushes to the hospital as fast as she can. Eliza's family was always religious, but Eliza was never sure whether she believed in god. Nevertheless, during the carriage ride over, she prays.

When the carriage arrives, she throws herself out the door and runs as fast as she can into the hospital. A nurse greets her at the door.

"How can I help you ma'am?"

"I'm looking for my son, Philip Hamilton."

"Right this way, your husband is already here."

Eliza nods and puts everything in her into the effort of not crying. She has to remain strong for Philip, because if she falls apart, she may not be able to put herself back together.

As they walk, the nurse briefs Eliza.

"They brought him in a half an hour ago, he lost a lot of blood on the way over."

"Is he alive?" Eliza asks.

"Yes, but you have to understand, the bullet entered just above his hip and lodged in his right arm."

"What does that mean?"

"There's a good chance your son won't survive, Mrs. Hamilton."

"Can I see him now please?"

"We're doing doing everything we can but the wound was already infected when he arrived."

Eliza nods and brushes away the tears brimming in her eyes. She bursts into the room, spotting her husband standing by Philip's side, holding his hand.

"Eliza!" Hamilton cries out.

"Is he breathing? Is he going to survive this?" Eliza demands, "Who did this, Alexander, did you know?"

Alexander opens and closes his mouth a few times before silently shaking his head. Eliza opens her mouth to berate him, but closes it when she sees Philip stirring. Eliza pushes Alexander to the side and takes Philip's hand in her own.